Sometimes, when we use small items at home, in the kitchen, or at the office, we don’t really pay attention to what materials are used, as long as they fulfill their function. But now that people are more conscious about where things come from and how they are produced, there are some product designers that have been coming up with great concepts that use minimal materials and are cost-efficient. As to whether they can become actual consumer products is still up for debate though.
Designer: Theodore Simon
It’s still pretty interesting though to look at these designs and concepts and see the possibilities. This minimalist and monomaterial kitchen scale was created as a diploma project at ECAL, a university of art and design in Switzerland. This entire scale was made from just plastic and is composed only of two parts, which will make it easier to produce and can also facilitate an easier recycling process even though it’s made from plastic. The concept for the scale is from ideas from micro-engineering and production.
Normally, scales are made from different materials as well as various parts to achieve its functionality of weighing ingredients and other materials placed on it. But with this concept called Lari, Simon was able to use the elasticity of plastic to just use one material and use just two parts. The first part is a tray where you place the item to be weighed and is linked to the base through two flexible parallel beams. The second part is a flexible indicator that is able to calibrate to zero and moves the tray by sliding in the base.
The look of the scale itself is as minimal as its parts and materials. The two parts are like puzzle pieces that you can connect in order for it to function. The accuracy of the scale though is something that may have to be experimented more on, if somebody is able to grab this concept eventually.
